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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410033">Dave N' Busters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/apolloreyes/pseuds/apolloreyes'>apolloreyes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>G-Swap [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>HLVRAI - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:21:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/apolloreyes/pseuds/apolloreyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the hellish nightmare that was Xen, G-Man meets a familiar face.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>G-Swap [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dave N' Busters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>uhhh more gswap content comin right up</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When his surroundings disappeared in a bright flash of orange and the tram appeared around him, G-Man was genuinely convinced that he died. The Black Mesa tram in the middle of a blank void wasn’t the purgatory he expected, but he supposed it could’ve been worse.</p><p>He’s not entirely sure how long it took him to fully grasp his surroundings. After all, one minute he was in Harold’s and Bubby’s arms after the most nightmarish experience of his life, the next he’s just… on a tram. As if it was a normal day at work. The only difference being he felt like all of his bones were broken, his right hand was missing, and the surroundings were a blank void. Still, it’s the closest thing to normalcy he’s experienced in a while.</p><p>G-Man’s almost entirely sure that he had been healed to some extent, because he was definitely dying on Xen. At least, that's what he assumed dying felt like. He hadn't exactly experienced actually dying before.</p><p>It takes G-Man far too long to realize that he’s not alone in the tram. To be fair to him, it also took five minutes for his vision to stop being blurry. But G-Man’s not well known for being fair to himself.</p><p>But. There he is. The Man in the Suit. Whose son’s identity was now very clear, after the fight on Xen.</p><p>“Don’t worry, take your time, we have all the time in the world here,” he says reassuringly. While G-Man definitely appreciates the attempt, it does very little to comfort the rising panic he’s beginning to feel when the reality of wherever the hell he is sets in.</p><p>G-Man makes a noise that would best be transcribed as “Wuh” as he attempts to stand up before feeling a sharp pain in his back that he’s not sure if it’s from old age or literally everything that’s happened during the past three weeks.</p><p>The Man puts his hands out. “I wouldn’t recommend trying to get up that quickly! I made sure you weren’t actively dying, but you still have approximately 37 broken bones!”</p><p>G-Man sighs and leans back. The Man does have a point. He might as well not make his injuries worse.</p><p>Suddenly, a horrible realization hits him.</p><p>“Why-" His throat burns. "Why, exactly, are you here?"</p><p>He waves his hands reassuringly. “I just wanted to clear things up before the big Birthday Blast! I will take the blame for the whole Xen thing, that was a huge oversight on my part, my bad. Xen was never really my specialty, and my Xen contact failed to inform me about that. Again, still should’ve realized something was up, so that’s completely on me.”</p><p>Despite the Man basically saying in blatant terms, “Blame me for what happened”, G-Man still can’t bring himself to do it. He absolutely will blame him for forcing him to read Oscar Wilde for hours while the Man and Benrey flirted. And, listen, he wants Benrey to have all of the happiness in the world, but he feels like it’s fair to not enjoy being forced to listen to it while everyone else is frozen in time.</p><p>Wait-</p><p>Everyone else.</p><p>“Where- Where is, Tommy?” G-Man’s definitely panicking right now as he begins to stand up. “And Joshua? And Harold? And-”</p><p>“Don’t worry! They’re all safe. They’re currently at Josh’s birthday party, which we’re on our way to, I just wanted to have a little chat with you after that whole mess, you know how it is.”</p><p>“Josh… Joshua’s birthday…” He frowns. “It’s already August 23rd?”</p><p>“Damn! You remembered his birthday! I knew you were the right man for the job.” He lightly punches G-Man’s shoulder and it takes all of his strength not to visibly wince at how badly that hurt.</p><p>“If you, don’t… mind me asking… Where is, this birthday party?” He’s not sure if his heart would be able to take whatever insane thing this eldritch God had planned for his 18 year old son-</p><p>“Dave n’ Busters!”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>“After everything… you’re celebrating, your son’s birthday, at a bar?”</p><p>That was apparently the wrong thing to say.</p><p>Something in the Man’s eyes seems to snap as he puts his hands on G-Man's shoulders.</p><p>“You listen to me right now. I’m speaking directly into your ear. Dave n’ Busters is not a bar. What the fuck are you on about. Dave n’ Busters is an arcade that serves food and alcoholic beverages, I’ll give you that, but it’s not a bar. Is a theatre a bar just because it serves alcohol? Huh? No. You're a scientist. A doctor. I thought you’d be smart enough to not say ‘Dave n’ Busters is a bar’, because it’s an arcade and family entertainment center, not a sleazebag bar. Honestly. What the fuck.”</p><p>G-Man definitely touched a nerve there. If he wasn’t terrified of this man turning him into a pile of ash at the snap of his fingers, he’d probably recommend therapy, because this is very clearly not actually about whether or not Dave n’ Busters is a bar.</p><p>“I, apologize, for upsetting you,” G-Man says, trying to choose his words very carefully. “But, I have always thought of it, as a bar. And, I assumed, that, because of your son’s age, you weren’t, taking him for the, arcade part of the establishment. Be- Besides, don't, most places, in the world, have the drinking age set at 18? I don't think, an 18 year old drinking, would be considered 'bad parenting'.”</p><p>“Well! Maybe you thought wrong! And of course I’m bringing him for the arcade part! What- What kid doesn’t like to go to the arcade?” He crosses his arms, doing what G-Man can only describe as 'pouting'. "But in the United States, where he lives, the drinking age is 21, and I refuse to encourage my son to break the law!"</p><p>This is very clearly a conversation the Man and Josh need to have, not him and G-Man.</p><p>"But- Even if bar isn't the most conventional term, for the establishment, I think it's unfair to say, that it's inaccurate."</p><p>A voice behind G-Man pipes up.</p><p>“I think it’s an arcade with a bar inside of it.”</p><p>G-Man feels a warmth in his chest as he’s flooded with relief. “Bubby-!”</p><p>The man almost immediately shoots him and he disappears.</p><p>“What did you-?!”</p><p>“Listen. He’s fine. He’s at the arcade with everyone else. Which you will not be going to until you admit that it’s not a bar and say you’re sorry for ever implying that I’m a deadbeat dad.”</p><p>G-Man really wishes the HEV suit hadn’t run out of morphine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>me tumblr is dilfgmancoolatta if you wanna hmu abt gswap and my co-creater is transheadcrab</p><p>https://gman-coolatta-daily.tumblr.com/post/641514216629616640/ xenian-gamer also drew art of this scene!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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